Walking With El Salvador

2024 Good Friday procession in San Salvador, El Salvador Viernes Santo, Holy Friday, is the day on which Christians remember the suffering and death of Jesus. In old English, this day was often referred to as Long Friday due to the extended period of fasting, prayer, and other acts of penitence and remembrance.  In El Salvador, walking the way of the cross with public processions through the streets is a long-held tradition, rooted in the Roman Catholic faith. This centuries-old tradition, honored in small hamlets and large cities, continues to be led by Catholic Churches cities and draws participants from the broader faith community, including tourists. Indeed it can be a long Friday. For some of the most elaborate processions, such as  the one in Sonsonate , crowds begin to line the streets hours before the procession begins. Along the route, groups set up the stations of the cross while at the church, preparations are made for carrying statues of Mary and Jesus.  Prior...

When I was growing up, our Lutheran church celebrated Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) with a focus on the Last Supper, and fifth graders received their first communion. Our kids remember Maundy Thursday as the night when Pastor Dave closed the Bible with a loud slam. The altar was stripped and we walked out in silence. For several years, our Milwaukee Church did something we called Family Camp during Holy Week, which included worship, art and outdoor activities instead of traditional worship on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. A Holy Week tradition for families in the Lutheran Church in Los Héroes is to gather at the church on Holy Thursday for an informal devotional with singing, scripture reading and the lavatorio de pies - foot washing. Folks sit in a big circle, and the pastors wash everyone's feet in the same way that Jesus washed his disciples' feet during the Last Supper. In our relationship as sister churches, we have a catch-phrase: better together. One way in which w...

Metropolitan Cathedral as seen from inside the National Palace (©2023) The historic center of San Salvador is an absolutely great place for walking. Grab your hat and a water bottle. Take a bus, take an Uber or take your car. Wander the pedestrian walkways, hang out in the plazas, and take in a few sites along the way. There are cafes, hole-in-the-wall eateries and some great new restaurants where you can grab lunch, coffee or an early supper. Day or night, the city center is a safe place to wander. (As always, use common sense, and remember it is most fun to go with friends).  Beautiful artwork can sometimes be found in unlikely locations. When walking, look around at the famous things, and also, keep your eyes open for unexpected beauty. This painting is just outside of the rather rustic parking garage, facing Plaza Morazán. (©2023) If you have your own vehicle, I recommend parking in the parking garage which is located next to the National Theater, off of Plaza Morazán. Wander a...

A lovely walk at the top of Cerro Verde Today's wandering walk takes place a bit of a drive west of San Salvador in Parque Nacional Cerro Verde. To be clear, this park is the jumping off point for some serious trekking (with guides) up the Santa Ana (Ilamatepec) Volcano or the Izalco Volcano. Cerro Verde (of the three volcanoes, it is the extinct one) also offers a relatively easy guided trek which takes hikers through old and new growth forest, down into the crater and back up again. But this story is offers a different perspective on the Cerro Verde experience: no hiking poles needed! Our goal: walk, relax, enjoy nature. We drove up to the park on a dry March afternoon, on the date of the new moon, in order to spend the night and do some star gazing in a place far away from city lights. By allowing for plenty of time to wander without the rush of heading out on a formal hike, we learned more about the park as a wonderful location for a leisurely stroll or a picnic, and that it is...